Sunny Garden

Stories about mental illness.

' . . . a rare insight into a different and strange world, one of humour and sadness, courage and despair.'

- Anne Deveson, author of Tell Me I'm Here

"The gift of death... the gift of life... and a celebration of all the stages in between ... that is what story has to offer."

- From the editors' introduction, The Gift of Story

Most Australian writers have fallen in love with the short story at some time. Dazzlingly, painfully, comically, sadly, it has been the object of their heart's desire - and a gift to their readers.

(Jacket blurb for The Gift of Story)

"And it comes to us, out of the blue. Why not a collection of great Australian drinking stories from great Australian writers? Not just your average tales from braggarts, your volume-of-alcohol yarns, but something more. Something about the plains we all ride across after a few too many. The different landscapes we visit whilst drunk. The ones we pass through whilst getting drunk. The ones we find ourselves stuck in when we can't take another drop. Now that would be something."

"The response to the idea was, in short, remarkable. Either there are a lot of writers out there who drink a lot, or a lot of drinkers who write a lot.

- From the editors' introduction, Smashed

A tantalising handful of stories to tempt, tease, provoke and entice every reader into contemplating the awful spectre of sin, however original.

(Jacket blurb for Original Sin)

"This diverse selection entertains, questions, disturbs and surprises as it reminds the reader of familiar experiences. The result is a challenging collection of stories which deal with all kinds of experiences - first love, repressive upbringings, homosexuality, serious illness, obsession and religious fanaticism - written by some of Australia's best writers for young people, and some exciting new talents."

- Robyn Sheahan, from the introduction, Original Sin

Sixteen Australian writers address themselves to the national obsession with sport.

"No-one, it seems, remains unaffected by the beauty and triumphs or the brutality and absurdities of our sporting culture."

- Manfred Jurgensen, from the introduction, A Sporting Declaration

"the stories in this collection deliberately resist external definition. They are not generation statements, and the voices that speak through them run the spectrum of Australian society. Indeed at first blush, it would be tempting to declare that their only unity is their disunity, their only uniformity their plurality."

- James Bradley, from the introduction, Blur

Why is Queensland the fastest growing state in Australia? And why is writing in Queensland growing? In this collection of exciting new stories, thirty-two writers focus on the images, the myths, the life-styles and the obsessions associated with Australia's most controversial state.

"Picador New Writing 3 is the third in a series of annual anthologies started in 1993 to provide a showcase for new short stories, fictions, poetry, essays and works-in-progress by new and established writers in Australia."

- From the editors' introduction, Picador New Writing 3

A "tropical paradise" where the sun shines overhead and days seem never to end - but when they do, the night brings dark revelations ...

A collection of stories by remarkable Australian writers who conceive their own particular view of the downside of paradise; the flipside which haunts even the brightest of days.

(Jacket blurb for Nightmares In Paradise)

Queensland: Words and All is an anthology of the best of Queensland writing. Among the many Australian authors with a Queensland connection are David Malouf, Thomas Shapcott, Janette Turner Hospital, Hugh Lunn, Diane Cilento, Judith Wright, Bruce Dawe, Nancy Cato, Michael Noonan, David Rowbotham, Ross Fitzgerald, Silvana Gardner, Sir James Killen and the founding editor of Outrider, Manfred Jurgensen. The collection is a celebration of Outrider's first ten years of existence.

(Jacket blurb for Queensland: Words and all)

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Disclaimer:
Sunny Garden is designed, written and maintained by Liz Perkins, in cooperation with Nick Earls, Penguin Books and Random House Australia. Any questions about Sunny Garden should be directed to Liz

All original contents are © Liz Perkins.